


a 'can’t live without the other’ kind of love

by Bellakitse



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Carlos Reyes Loves TK Strand, Established Relationship, His father notices, M/M, POV Outsider, Spoilers & Speculation for upcoming Episode 8, Supportive Gabriel Reyes, Worried Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:29:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29812620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellakitse/pseuds/Bellakitse
Summary: “Whoa, hold on, mijo, take a breath,” Gabriel stands too, raising his hands to stop his son from leaving without explaining. “What’s going on? Who is missing?”“My b – “ Carlos stops himself, taking a breath as Gabriel asked. “You remember TK? You and Mami met him at the market a couple of weeks ago?”+When TK goes missing, Gabriel helps his son find him.Speculations for next week's Episode 2x08
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Gabriel Reyes, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 37
Kudos: 524
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	a 'can’t live without the other’ kind of love

**Author's Note:**

> Back with some more Gabriel POV, hoping he's as supportive when the time comes on the show.

Gabriel Reyes sits across his son at their favorite taqueria, smiling at the nice waitress when she places a dozen tacos between them and two Tecate beers.

“Thank you,” he says to her before turning to look at his boy. “Now, this is what I’m talking about,” he points at the food. “Unos tacos de carnitas with enough fat to clog an artery,” he grins at his son when he gets a raised eyebrow from him.

“I thought Mami put you on a diet?” Carlos questions him, shaking his head in amusement when he answers with a shrug.

“What your mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” he answers, picking up a taco. “Don’t snitch, Carlitos,” he warns him, breaking out into a grin as his son huffs out a laugh.

“And get in the middle of _that_ war?” he answers with a snort. “You taught me better survival skills than that, dad.”

“That’s my boy,” Gabriel boasts proudly. It’s the same pride he’s been feeling all day after working on a case with his son. He and Carlos eat quietly for a moment before he lets him know. “You know, you really impressed me today.”

Carlos pauses mid-bite, looking at him quietly as he waits for him to continue.

“You have good instincts, you think outside the box, and you don’t miss the small details,” he comments with a smile as he thinks back to earlier as he and his son, along with their respective teams, poured over evidence on the crime ring of bank robbers they’re on the hunt for.

“We still haven’t caught them,” Carlos reminds him. The frustration he feels causing a small wrinkle between his brows. It makes Gabriel chuckle slightly. He remembers being a young officer and how impatience would get the better of him too.

“We will,” he promises, sure of it. “They’re feeling the heat, and when we catch them, a lot of the credit will go to you and your fellow officers,” he gives his son a half-smile. “And you know I mean that. We Texas Rangers don’t like to give up the credit so easily.”

Carlos smiles back at him, bashful, so much like when he was a little boy, praise never being an easy thing for him to accept. “Thank you, sir,” he says quietly. “It’s been pretty cool getting to work with you, dad.”

Gabriel opens his mouth to agree with him when Carlos’ phone starts to ring at the table.

“Sorry, dad,” Carlos says quickly as he picks up his phone, frowning slightly as he looks at his caller ID. “Captain Strand?” he questions before pressing on the call. “Hello?”

Gabriel takes another bite of his food, watching and waiting for his son to end his call. Because his focus is on Carlos, he notices the second his whole posture changes.

“What do you mean their unit is missing?” he questions, the words coming out quick and forceful with a hint of worry. “When did anyone last hear from them?”

Gabriel puts his food down, reaching for a napkin to wipe his hands, the desire for food quickly leaving him as he watches his son go from calm to distressed in a blink of an eye.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming right now. Text me the address of their last location,” Carlos says quickly, already standing as he hangs up. “Dad, I gotta go.”

“ _Whoa_ , hold on, mijo, take a breath,” Gabriel stands too, raising his hands to stop his son from leaving without explaining. “What’s going on? Who is missing?”

“My b – “ Carlos stops himself, taking a breath as Gabriel asked. “You remember TK? You and Mami met him at the market a couple of weeks ago?”

“Your firefighter friend,” he answers with a nod. He raises a curious eyebrow when Carlos’ face looks pained for a second.

“He’s a paramedic now, changed fields,” Carlos tells him, swallowing hard. “He and his team were answering a call in a parking building. They seem to have gone off the grid, and no one can reach them. It’s been hours. I gotta go help find him.”

Gabriel studies his son for a moment. He doesn’t miss the small shake of his hand or the way he said _him_ , not them.

“Okay, mijo,” he says softly, reaching out to give his shoulder a supportive squeeze. “How can I help?”

* * *

Gabriel quietly walks with his son as they search through the third floor of the parking building. When they arrived at the scene, APD and Austin Fire were already there setting up base. From the way the firefighters of the 126 engine had greeted his son, it was apparent they were all on friendly terms. One by one, they hugged him, assuring him that they would find them, each mentioning TK in particular even though two more of their members were missing too.

“So this friend of yours,” he starts carefully, eyeing his son as they scan the area looking for any clues. They’d already found the van with bloody rags and ran the plates, now they searched as they waited for any results. “TK?”

Carlos shoots him a cagey look before his focus goes back to the area in front of them. “Yeah?” he asks, and Gabriel hates how nervous he sounds. His son should never sound like that around him.

“More than just a friend?” he questions, and if he hated Carlos sounding nervous, him looking it is a million times worse. He lets out a sigh when Carlos says nothing to his question. “Talk to me, kid.”

Carlos stops, turning to look at him. His expression is pinched as he lets out a slow breath. It’s even and practiced, a way to steady himself, Gabriel realizes. “He’s my boyfriend, dad,” he answers, his eyes looking past Gabriel’s shoulder and not directly at him.

Gabriel has so many questions run through his head. How long? Why did he lie when he and Andrea ran into them? Why is he scared to tell him now?

Though the guilt making his stomach cramp lets him know he probably doesn’t need an answer to that last one.

He takes a breath of his own as he places a hand on Carlos’ shoulder.

When Carlos’ eyes find his, he gives him what he hopes is a reassuring look. “We are going to find him and his team.”

Carlos’ expression changes again, the worry still there, but now it’s a different kind. “What if we don’t?” he whispers, his breath coming out shaky. “What if he’s hurt. Dad, I don’t know what I would do if something happens to him.”

There are tears in his eyes, and when he closes them, Gabriel knows it’s to keep them from falling.   
“I almost lost him once, I can’t, not again – “ Carlos stops, his breath becoming more labored as fear takes hold.

Gabriel steps forward, pulling his son into a tight hug as he gasps into his shoulder. He runs a hand up and down his back, hoping it will comfort him like it did when he was a kid. Carlos shakes as he hugs him back just as tightly, and Gabriel reels from the realization that his son doesn’t just have a boyfriend but is _in_ _love_.

“We’re going to find him,” he promises, meaning it. This TK boy is important to his son, and he’ll move heaven and earth to get him back to Carlos.

Carlos nods into his shoulder, letting him go when Gabriel’s phone starts to ring.

“Ranger Reyes,” he speaks into the phone, realizing it’s the office. He listens quickly, his heart lifting as his fellow ranger gives him the good news. “We’ll be right there,” he answers before he ends the call.

“Dad?”

“They found them,” he smiles brightly even as his eyes sting at the relief he sees in his son’s eyes. “They’re all okay.”

Carlos nods rapidly, the tears he’d been holding at bay finally falling.

“Let’s go see him,” he answers, taking hold of his son’s arm, turning him around to go where they need to. “I’d like to meet this boy of yours.”

They make their way quickly out of the parking lot and into his car. He drives faster than he probably should while Carlos bounces his leg anxiously in the passenger’s seat.

Barely parked, Carlos is out of the car and crossing the police tape with single-minded focus and Gabriel hot on his heels. He comes to a halt a few feet away from the group of firefighters Gabriel met earlier, now with three new members all in EMS uniforms among them. It doesn’t take long for the group to notice them or for the young man he remembers from the market to stand.

Gabriel watches with interest as he and his son share a stare before he grows restless and pokes his son hard in his side, waving towards TK when his son turns to look at him. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he questions, letting out an exasperated breath when Carlos stares at him with wide eyes. “Go to your man!” he continues, letting out a chuckle when Carlos snaps out of his daze and does just that, all but running towards TK.

He watches as his son wraps his arms around his boyfriend, both clinging to each other. He can see their lips moving, and even though he can’t hear them, he can probably guess what they’re saying to each other. Their hands seemed to be glued to the other, neither letting go as they share a gentle kiss, and Gabriel is struck once again by the night’s revelation.

His boy is in love, a deep, forever, ‘ _can’t live without the other’_ kind of love, and by the look on this TK’s face, his feelings are very much returned.

Gabriel is so lost in the thought, he startles when they turn to look at him. He finds himself holding his breath as they walk hand in hand back to him.

“Dad,” Carlos starts softly, hesitating for a moment before giving him a smile. “I want you to meet TK, my boyfriend.”

Gabriel smiles back at his son before looking at the man in question, who, even after his ordeal, just seems so happy to be there in front of him, holding Carlos’ hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, TK.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me @ [bellakitse](https://bellakitse.tumblr.com/)


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